Oakland Offers Drug War Reparations Through Revolutionary Program

Politicians in Oakland, Calif., are correcting the wrongs of the past with a policy that is forward-thinking and, arguably, revolutionary. Oakland residents who have been arrested in the past for marijuana possession over the last decade will be eligible to participate in a program to legally sell marijuana.

In May 2016, the Oakland City Council passed a historic policy called the “Equity Permit Program,” which will allow drug felons to obtain a permit to run their own marijuana business. Normally, convicted drug felons are prohibited to get permits.

Spearheaded by councilmember Desley Brooks, the plan will help communities and people hardest hit by the drug war to build an economic structure, reports East Bay Express. In the cannabis business industry, black people are under-represented, yet, they are most represented when it comes to arrest for weed in the criminal justice system. This policy should change all of that.

Although the "Equity Permit Program" has been met with opposition, it's a huge leap in the marijuana policy reform and criminal justice reform. Hopefully, other cities will adopt this policy and bring some real social change in their communities.